Return Of Death
by Roland Farqueson
Summary: Quinn Payne, is a Doctor. His hospital is about to be shutdown. That however is least of his worries when people are admitted with strange bite wounds. I have edited this story, the plot flow changes around chapter10. I was the orignal author
1. Code 22

**Return of Death.**

**Chapter 1: Code 22**

"His vitals don't look good doctor I can't see him lasting the night to be honest" The nurse said as she handed him the clip board with the patients records and vitals on it.

Payne sighed as he took the chart and glanced it up and down. His chin showed he hadn't shaved in the past few hours and his eyes defiantly displayed the lack of sleep, and he dreaded to think how his breath smelled. Then again his patients hand always come first after all isn't that why his wife was now staying at her mother's.

"Doctor?" the nurse asked, Payne suddenly shook off his tiredness he realized he'd started to daydream whilst looking at the chart.

"Put him on some morphine, and could you be an angel and get me some coffee?" Payne asked handing back the clipboard.

The nurse smiled and wrapped her arms around the clipboard. "Sure, be right back" she said leaving, making sure the wiggle her backside as she left.

Payne knew he was still attractive but what really did his head in was when a young nurse would still try it on even when they knew he was married. Being quite a young doctor he knew the attraction would last at least another few years. Oh well he would just have to bare with it.

He rubbed his chin and lent against the reception desk, the reception was now empty it was now half two in the morning and for once the hospital was relatively quiet except for the few patients who couldn't leave and the strange bite victims, apparently there had been a brawl in a pub down town.

He was about to turn round and talk to the receptionist, Rebecca one of his oldest friends she had started working at the hospital together a couple of years ago when Payne was still an intern, when his bleeper went off.

He scurried to move his coat to the side and checked his bleeper, it read **CODE 22 ROOM 15**.

"Jesus" he uttered

"What's wrong Quinn?" Rebecca asked from behind her computer.

"A patient is attacking a nurse." Payne replied and he sprinted out of the reception and into the corridor, there was no time to take the lift he'd have to take the stairs. He quickly ran up the stairs bounding up them three at a time, fortunately he'd always taken it upon himself to run several miles a day whether it was before or after work.

He reached the third floor quickly and he could already hear the cries from the fight. As far as Payne knew there was only one male nurse on tonight and only three other doctors besides the surgeons.

He reached stepped out into the ward and could see the fight in room 15 already.

The nurse that had just been wiggling her butt was locked in a wrestle with a guy at least twice her size and it looked as though he was trying to bite her. What unnerved Payne even more was that about five minutes ago this guy hadn't even been able to sit up in bed due to the bite on his neck but now here he was about to ripe the face off a young nurse.

Payne ran down the ward knocking several nurses and curious patients to the side and he stormed into the room.

The patient had just managed to lock his teeth around the end of the young nurse's nose. She screamed out as the man ripped the nose clean off. Payne wasn't normally squeamish being a doctor he'd gotten used to such a feeling but he felt sick to the very stomach when he saw this. He advanced on the man intending to end it now he never took any kind off abuse from the public to his staff while he was on duty. In fact in the past he'd been suspended for removing a patient by force about a year ago.

However wearing his work shoes and the combination of the blood and the shinny floor Payne lost his footing and scattered to the floor.

He fell behind the nurse and the patient and nurse both fell over falling to the floor. Payne wasted now time on the floor and quickly hauled himself up. However it was too late for the young nurse the man had now wrapped his teeth around her young flawless neck and ripped a whole in it so big the blood literally launched out into the man's mouth.

The man seemed to take some pleasure from this and it seemed as though he was eating her flesh.

Payne raised his foot and kicked the man square in the face, breaking several teeth and the nose. The man flew against the door banging it against the wall. He let out a cry but it seemed to be a cry of desperation rather than pain or anger.

Payne watched as the man pulled himself up, Payne was shocked any kick like that would hospitalize a normal person.

The man advanced upon him but again the combination of blood and the shinny floor meant that as soon as Payne tried to retreat backwards he fell to the floor. Knocking the bedside table, that had been placed with the morphine and syringe on it, to the floor.

The man was on top of Payne instantly and trying to rip out his throat, but Payne was full expecting this and he slid his hand underneath the man's chin and held him back.

Payne now managed to look the man straight in the face and his eyes. His eyes were blank apart from two small pupils and his jaw kept snapping for Payne's face. Payne glanced around and saw the syringe. He quickly grabbed it in his right hand and wasted no time in thrusting it into the man's side.

The man let out a grunt from the wound, but still he attacked.

Payne with drew the syringe and slammed it in again and again. But the man showed no visible sign of pain.

He then decided to slam it into the man's eye. The syringe went into the eye and made a disgusting squelching sound as he thrust it in this time the man stopped obviously dead the syringe had gone into his brain.

Payne sighed and heaved the body off him and glanced around the room and the vast amount of blood and the corpse of the young nurse then he vomited.


	2. Outbreak!

**Chapter 2: OutBreak!**

Payne spat the remains of vomit out of his mouth and stood up. The nurse he hadn't only minutes ago been flirting with him was dead on the floor. Her once pretty face ruined the area where her nose was, was just a bloody stump and the throat and been ripped to pieces by the crazed patient.

He looked to the nurses standing outside the room one was in floods of tears and the other two were standing with their mouths so wide open they could have easily caught a bug in them. It was then Payne realized what he'd done.

"Shit!" he uttered.

He glanced at the dead man and back up the nurses. "I hope you'll all stand as witnesses for me?" he asked the two who were shocked by the whole event.

One said yes the other merely nodded.

He decided to leave the room before he could contemplate the affair, he'd tell one of the nurses to call the cops then he'd await his fate in his office.

He stepped over the man's body then walked past the nurse when her hand suddenly shot forward and grabbed his leg.

He scattered to the floor through the door and almost knocked over one of the other nurses. He managed to roll on his side before the once dead nurse was on top of him screaming and snapping her teeth at his skin. He avoided the teeth as he tried to push her back.

"Whoa! It's okay calm down" He said trying to calm her down "he's dead he wont attack you". It was then he realized, who was he saying that to? She had been dead he'd seen it no one could have survived a bite like that to the throat her jugular vein had been ripped in half by the teeth she was dead. She had to be dead.

It was then he realized what he was fighting. He'd seen them in enough movies even in one or two books he'd read as a teenager he was currently grappling with a zombie.

He then threw a punch straight at the zombie's jaw a punch he knew would knock any normal person out. It was a final test next to her being dead and her changing from the moment she got bitten. The punch flew and landing on target smashing the jaw back to knock it into the nerve that would put any one out cold. He was pretty sure he heard the jaw snap as well but the nurse merely flinched at the strike and continued her assault.

"Someone help me," he screamed.

Suddenly an object flew in and stuck her in the side of the head making a dull thud. The object which hit her was metal, a metal pipe unless he was mistaken. The nurse's skull had been shattered and the bits of skull had flown into the brain killing the nurse for a second time. Payne quickly stood up and brushed himself down and he looked up to see his savior. It was the janitor Steven he was standing their holding a pipe from somewhere. Steven was in his forties now and had quiet a stern look in his eyes. Payne was sure he'd served with the military at some point well he certainly had that look about him.

"Thank you." Payne said taking his hand and shaking it.

"s'alright, was just fixing the shower room where I heard all the commotion so I though I'd see what it was all about" Steven replied.

"Well thank you none the less."

"Ben?" Payne heard a voice from behind the janitor.

Steven stepped aside and Rebecca was behind him holding a clipboard her glasses had been shifted on top of her head and she had a puzzled look on her face.

"What's happening?" she asked.

"People are going crazy and attacking people." Payne replied, he didn't dare suggest that he thought they were zombies.

She spied the nurses body and looked up and Steven and then looked to Payne.

"What do you want Rebecca any way?" Payne asked.

"The err- police have just called apparently there's been a riot downtown and there are some nasty injuries and they're bringing them here" she said.

"No! They can't" Payne burst out.

"Sorry?" Rebecca asked

"We have to close this hospital down we've got an outbreak of a new virus"

"What do you mean doc?" Steven asked.

"Phone the police back and let me speak to them" Payne said. He then turned to the nurses. "I want all three of you to go round and lock all people who have been admitted with bite wounds into rooms by themselves"

"Is this necessary?" Rebecca asked.

"Yes! now do it."

The two none crying nurses scurried off dragging the third with them. "Steven can you go with them just to make sure they're alright?"

"Sure thing doc" Steven said slinging the pipe over his shoulder.

"Right get the police on the phone for me Rebecca"


	3. New Arrivals

**Chapter 3: New Arrivals**

Payne was now standing in the reception with Rebecca. He'd spoken to the police cheif. Apparently the other hospitals had all reported similar occurrences with bite victims going crazy and biting others who suffered the same symptoms.

The police were now diverting any of the victims to another hospital to hopefully contain the problem. However there was now the problem of the riot to deal with it was now only a couple of blocks away and the rioters would surely ransack the hospital as it contained a lot of valuable equipment. The police were also dealing with they were sending down two squad cars with eight police officers all armed to act more of a deterrent to the rioters rather than to fight them off.

Payne was waiting to great them and give them areas to guard before Rebecca would activate the shutters all round the hospital. A newish idea that's supposed to keep people in or out in the event of a outbreak of a very contagious disease which this was the time. It would also serve to keep the rioters out.

"Why would people riot at a time like?" Rebecca asked more to herself than Payne.

"No idea Becks" Payne replied, Becks was Rebecca's knick name that Payne had called her since they were small.

Steven entered the reception his pipe in hand. Payne was glad to see him as it signified everything was going well.

"Everyone locked up?" Payne asked.

"Yes doc, one or two of them are starting to looked like the others that we fought earlier."

"There's five bite victims isn't there?" Payne asked not too sure in all the commotion he'd forgotten.

"Yup" Steven replied.

"Right you can stay here with me, Is there any one you'd like to contact before the police get here as we're going to shut the place down tight?"

"Nawh, I live alone any ways both of me parents are dead"

"Hadn't you better phone your wife?" Steven asked

"No, besides we're hardly on speaking terms at the moment, how'd you know I was married?"

"Saw the ring" Steven pointed at Payne's left hand.

"Ah!" Payne replied and nervously moved the ring round his finger then decided to take it off at put it in his pocket.

The three of them were stood there for a moment then they heard the approaching sirens. Payne looked around then looked down at his coat, which was now covered in blood. He looked like a butcher in a slaughterhouse.

"Becks is there a clean coat around?" Payne asked her.

"Sure one under here" She said diving behind her desk and pulling out a clean coat. She tossed him it and he put it on.

He cast away his dirty coat and put the clean one on. Payne had always taken pride in wearing a white coat it made him look and feel like a doctor.

He then leant against the reception desk waiting for the police officers. Steven went over to the vending machine and began to get a drink.

They were all waiting calmly when they heard the screech of a car outside and several gunshots. There were a couple of shouts then suddenly the door to the reception flew open and three police officers flew in backwards all wielding shotguns and pointing them towards the door. A fourth police officer ran in normally he only had a small police revolver and about three people were chasing him all had raggedy clothes and blood all over them. The police officers with the shotguns all opened up firing into the three people all three flew to the floor and the fourth police officer scrabbled away from them.

"Shut the door, there's more of 'em coming" one of the officers shouted.

"Becks pull the shutters down" Payne shouted over the chaos.

Rebecca dived under the desk and there were several sirens and red lights flashed around the door and suddenly the shutters began to creep down and within moments the whole room was cast into darkness and all that illuminated the room were the flashing lights.

"I can't see the fuckers," some one cried out, which was followed by another shot. One of the people who had chased the police officers in slumped to the ground from the shell destroying his head. The other two stayed down.

A silence hit the room that was almost deafening. Then after what seemed like several minutes one of the officers spoke. "Looks like they didn't see us come in here"

"Thank god" said the officer with the revolver. He looked like the youngest of the officers in fact he looked as though he'd only just joined up.

"Who's in charge here" another said.

Payne stepped forward. "I am, Doctor Payne, thought there was going to be eight of you?"

"There was but in the end the other officers were needed to sort out the supposed rioters, did I hear that right doctor Payne?"

"Yes you did" Payne replied.

There were some sniggers from the officers.

"Unfortunate name for a doctor." said the officer who appeared to be in charge

"Yes, it is. So what is the plan then?"

"Well we've been ordered to come here to protect the hospital, but frankly I wouldn't expect a rescue any time soon this cities gone to hell."

"Yeah! It's like a frikin war zone out there. People are going crazy and eating each other it's like a zombie movie."

"Hold on there's no such thing as zombies is their doc?" Steven interrupted.

"No not as such, but" Payne began

"But?"

"After what I've seen in the past hour I'm not so sure." Payne continued.

"So what are we going to do?" Steven said.

"Well I'd like all you officers upstairs out of this light for a start then we're going sort out a plan."


	4. Treating The Sickness

**Chapter4: Treating the sickness.**

Payne, Steven, Rebecca and the four officers were now on one of the wards without any patients in them. Plus the nurses that were in the hospital had bailed at some point one of them must have heard Payne talking about shutting down the hospital and they all must have left in a hurry trying to escape before the quarantine.

"So what your saying is you think this disease or whatever it is, is transferred in a bite from one of the infected" Phillip said. He was the sergeant of the group and was a big man he looked; as though he could push a car by himself he was that muscular. He looked quite young as well for a sergeant.

"Yes I believe so," Payne agreed

"Do you know if there's a way to cure this?" Phillip asked again.

"I couldn't possibly say. I'm a doctor not a researcher." Payne replied. He looked at his watch it was now 5:30. The sun would be starting to rise and the city seemed unusually quiet for the time of night.

"Okay, Well our priority is to protect the civilians here who are sick." Phillip said.

"What about the people who have already been bitten." asked another officer. His name was Daniel he was the youngest of the officers and apparently had only become an officer last week. He seemed intelligent and calm considering the situation and seemed to agree with everything Phillip said, but that didn't bother Payne he liked Phillip and he seemed like a very level headed guy and valued other peoples opinions.

"We've secured them in different rooms and they've either changed into one of those things-"

"Zombies" Phillip corrected "Might as well get used to calling them by their proper names"

"Zombies then, or they are on their way to becoming one."

"Okay, Well we'll check them out in a moment, but I'm sorry I know it'll go against your hippo oath or something like that but we'll have to put them out of their misery." Phillip said

"It's Hippocratic oath, and I don't mind as far as I can see these people are dead any way, there's no crime for shooting a dead body."

"Ah man! We're gonna have to kill 'em" said Seth, another youngster that seemed overly excited about the whole situation and seemed to be enjoying it way too much.

"Yes Seth we will" Phillip said

"Better then them eating us." Marcus agreed. He was the quiet one out of the group and had said little since he'd arrived but he seemed nice enough. It seemed to Payne he was having a hard time dealing with the whole thing.

"Okay this is the plan then." Phillip began. "Doctor."

"Please call me Quinn, it's my first name and I don't want you all calling me by my last name." Payne interrupted

"Okay Quinn" Phillip continued. " Quinn and myself. We're going to check on the patients who have been bitten. Marcus, Seth, Steven and Daniel will make sure everything is fine downstairs and make sure none of the zombies can get in. Miss?"

Rebecca was sat on a bed distanced from the group very quiet. Ben had almost forgotten she was there.

"Yes" she said looking up.

Quinn couldn't think of any reason why she'd be extremely sad. He couldn't think of any one she'd be missing outside she wasn't married and didn't have any kids but he assumed she was just scared.

Ben couldn't deny that he was scared he'd seen all the zombie movies where nations had been ruined and only small bands of survivors were left trailing the country always on the move raiding places for supplies. Every one he'd seen he'd never believed it could happen he though even his own country America would be able to sort this kind of mess out but in the short space of a few hours the city he was in had been crippled and he doubted any one would be alive outside.

It was then he remembered his wife in New York. She was probably still asleep that slight smile on her face that he come to love. He realized how much he wanted to see her again to make things try and work again.

"Are you okay?" Phillip asked.

"Yes I'm fine, what do you want me to do?" She said standing up of the bed

"Do you know if their are any weapons in this hospital?" Phillip asked

Quinn began to shake his head appalled at the fact that someone thought that any one would keep guns in a hospital.

"The manager is a complete gun nut if there are any here they'll be in his officer." Rebecca replied.

"Okay where is it?"

"It's on the top floor, it's the only office up there and it's a grand place deep red carpet, leather chairs, hand carved tables. The manger was arrogant and had lots of money a bad combination if you ask me."

"Will you be okay to check that yourself."

"Yes I'll be fine"

"Good, Right let's move to it then." Phillip said.


	5. The Light Of Hope

**Chapter 5: The light of hope.**

Phillip and Quinn stood outside one of the bite patients room, they could see through the glass in the door and the patient seemed to be sleeping soundly without any pain and didn't appear to be dead. However Quinn couldn't see the steady rise and fall of the man's chest.

"Where'd this guy get bit?" Phillip asked as he gripped his shotgun tightly.

"He got bit on the wrist look." Quinn pointed at the bandage on the man's wrist, "It wouldn't stop bleeding we eventually had to seal the wound with a form of super glue."

"Super glue?"

"Yes, it's what it was originally designed for, to fix up broken soldiers in Vietnam"

"Really? Well I guess you learn something new every day."

"Any way to the matter at hand, we need to check this guy."

"Okay, oh by the way you might want this." Phillip reached down to his utility belt and drew a large Smith and Weston Revolver from its holster and handed it to Quinn.

"A gun?" Quinn stammered as he held the pistol awkwardly.

"Yes and I'll give you some ammo for it once we've dealt with this guy."

"Okay but I'm not sure how to handle it." Quinn said scanning the gun.

"Well for now, just point it and pull the trigger I shouldn't think you'll need to reload any time soon."

"Right on three we go in okay?"

"Yes"

"1...2...3...GO"

Both of them piled into the room and pointed their guns at the man. Then, nothing, the man on the bed didn't stir and the two were left standing in the doorway feeling very awkward. Then suddenly the man sat up, his eyes were empty and cold displaying only the emotion of anger and a hint of desperation. He had chance to let out a low growl before Phillip's shotgun ripped the top half of his head off and his face.

Quinn couldn't stop himself from jumping he wasn't sure whether it was the shuck of the zombie sitting bolt up right or Phillip's shotgun.

The pair then left as set about dealing with the other patients

Elsewhere in the hospital Steven, Seth, Daniel and Marcus were patrolling the hallways and checking all the shutters to make sure that no one could get in.

Steven and Daniel were currently checking a room where a patient in a coma lay sleeping his life support machine bleeping away happily in the dull light.

"So you were in the military?" Daniel asked

"Yeah, I was in the rangers" Steven said not glorifying it in the slightest.

"Did you see action?" Daniel asked smacking the shutter to check its strength.

"Once" Steven said not wanting to go into it, but he knew Daniel would pry.

"Where?"

"You see that film a few years ago, Black Hawk Down it was based on a book, it'd got that English actor in it."

"You served there? What was it like?"

"Nothing like the film" Steven said frowning he really didn't want to go into it now. Steven now held a shotgun given to him by Seth reluctantly but Marcus and Phillip had both ordered him to hand it over.

Daniel looked shocked then he stepped away from the shutters and holstered his pistol.

"Well that looks like it'll hold"

"Right let's move along to the next room."

"Ahhh man I can't believe you made me give my gun to the janitor" Seth said as he and Marcus walked down one of the dark corridors.

"Chill out you still have your pistol" Marcus replied

"Yeah but a shotgun has a kick to it, I love that gun" Seth said as he checked another shutter.

Marcus said nothing-just shuck his head.

Rebecca had taken the lift to the top floor and she was currently waiting for the doors to open.

_BONG_

The doors opened to reveal a large double oak door was brass finishing on the handle.

She wasted no time in getting into the office as she had the key to it. Last time she'd gone into the manager's office without permission he'd gone crazy telling her to respect his privacy. It was only cause she'd found some porn magazines in the draws. As she entered she wasn't surprised to see a handgun lying on the huge hand carved oak table.

She lifted it off the table and felt the weight in her hand. It was a desert eagle; at least that's what it said on the side. She'd never been interested in guns really.

At least there were some weapons in this office. Perhaps there was still hope.


	6. World Wide

**Chapter 6: World Wide**

Quinn and Phillip had finished disposing of the zombies in the hospital and the others had all finished their tasks.

They had found several guns belonging to the manager plus plenty of ammo. There was a Desert Eagle which Marcus now had in his holster, a large rifle with a scope, Phillip reckoned it was a Lee-Enfield, which Steven now held and Seth had his shotgun back. There was also a hand made sawn off shotgun that Quinn had been given. Plus Rebecca had been given one of the little police revolvers.

The group had gathered back in the abandoned wing.

"Why is the hospital so quiet and empty" Seth asked.

"This hospital was due to shut down in four weeks so we only have patients here who are dying and can't be moved and any serious cases like the bite victims" Quinn replied as he fumbled with the large revolver tucking it into his waist band so he could grip the sawn off properly.

"So they wont be causing us much trouble," Phillip said.

"Yes, but still there's no way I'm leaving them here, I'm going to stay till every single one of them has passed on comfortably" Quinn said striking a serious tone.

"Don't worry doc I ain't got any plans of leaving either" Steven said clutching the rifle as though he thought someone was about to try and take it from him.

"I wasn't suggesting we leave 'em, I haven't got any plans of leaving here soon. We don't know what's happening out there for a start." Phillip defended.

"Why don't we get a TV?" Rebecca suggested

"There's one in my office" Quinn added, "We can find out if anything's being done out there."

"Good idea" Marcus added.

The group marched their way to Quinn's office and they all crammed into it and Quinn set up the TV.

He pushed the on button and the TV flickered to life.

The first station to come up had a news presenter sitting behind a desk looking extremely nervous he'd even taken of his suit jacket.

"We have reports of an outbreak in England, Here's are BBC report Ken Scott".

The image flicked to an English journalist standing on top of a large building with rain lashing down. The image of the London skyline was behind.

"Thank you Bruce, behind me lies the remains of the once great city of London, which has now become infested with, with these creatures that feed on the flesh of humans, many religious cults have herald this as the end of days. However many scientists remain firm that it is caused by a disease."

"Myself and the camera man have been forced to take shelter in this tower block as the army try to maintain some sort of order, beneath me a battle rages between these creatures that I can only describe as running zombies and the army. The armies have secured the underground and are encouraging survivors to go the nearest station and hide there. I am about to head there myself and I fear this may be my last broadcast for sometime, Thank you Bruce Farewell."

The image suddenly switched to the anchor back in the U.S.

"Thank you Ken, and good luck. There have been reports of mass suicides in the middle east as people again hail this as the end of times."

"JESUS CHRIST" Seth exclaimed "It's Happening everywhere"

"Also in China and Japan reports of the outbreak are only just coming through. The only place that remains unaffected so far is Australia and New Zealand. All people in the U.S have been asked to remain in doors and asked not to attempt to reach loved ones. Help is on its way the home guard has been called up and all reserves have been called up. Citizens are also advised to gather together as many weapons as possible in case of an event to defend yourselves, If this case arises you are advised to destroy the head or brain as at the moment it seems to be the only way of stopping these creatures."

"On home events. Several cities have been quarantined as no out breaks have yet to be reported there and the military would like to keep it this way. New York."

"Rachael" Ben whispered under his breath

"Is safe. I repeat New York is safe. Los Angeles, I repeat Los Angeles is safe. Finally Washington D.C is also safe. These safe areas all have temporary military bases set up in them. People are advised not to travel to these cities as the army has set a shoot to kill policy on the boarders of the cities."

"Fuck man" Seth added.

"Isn't Racheal at her mothers in New York, Quinn?" Rebecca asked

"By the grace of God yes"

"This will be my last words on this station as we have prepared a helicopter that will take this news team to New York where we'll engage in a country wide broadcast. The estimated time to restore this link is two days. Until then please rely on local stations radio and TV for further updates."

The screen then cut out and left music playing, it was some song by **Brittany** Spears or some other pop queen like that Ben had never been too interested in that type of music any way.

"Woo! This is big" Phillip said.

"Jesus we're stuck here." Daniel said flopping his face down into his hands.


	7. Power Source

**Chapter 7: Power source!**

Several hours later Quinn was doing normal rounds to make sure all his patients were doing okay, unfortunately he'd found three who had died without him even noticing. Of course the thought of their deaths made him sad but at least they had escaped all this madness.

He'd have to wait 2 days to find out whether New York was safe. He hoped to God it was. Even though they were split up Quinn still loved her and he hoped she was fine. Of course in 2 days time he would know whether the plague of undead had been halted or not.

Until then his patients were to take priority. He was just going through the charts of one of his coma patients, he'd been in it about two months now and there was no sign of him coming out of it, when the over head light began to flicker. Quinn looked up at it confused.

The power was virtually off on the bottom floor only the flashing red lights remained, fortunately these lights hadn't attracted any of the undead as none of them where gathered outside the most that had happened in the last hour was a group of about twenty had run past chasing a car.

Then suddenly the lights went out and Quinn was left in complete darkness and judging by some of the shouts and screams the whole hospital was out. Quinn took the torch from his coat pocket that he used to inspect mouths and turned it on. The little beam gave him enough light to see by but not much. The shutters being down on all floors except the top meant that the whole building other than the top and that was the managers office was in complete darkness.

Quinn heard footsteps from the hall and saw a large beam of light. He went to investigate and saw Phillip standing in the hall his torch attached to his shotgun.

"What's happening?" Quinn asked, he'd left Phillip and the others watching the TV.

"We think the local power station has been shut down." Phillip said.

"How?"

"We've no idea but the local news station was telling all survivors to head their as there was some sort of temporary military base there." Phillip replied

"So that must mean either they've shut down the power supply for essential reasons or something like that, or the base has been over run?" Quinn asked more to himself than Phillip.

"Yup I'd I could give a good guess as to which of those it is" Phillip said.

Quinn then suddenly realized the amount of patients who were on life support and needed the electricity.

"Oh Jesus we need power the patients need power!" Quinn exclaimed.

"What?"

"The patients need power for their life support systems"

"Oh crap!"

"We need to activate the emergency generator" Quinn said.

"Where is it?" Phillip asked, obviously he shared Quinn's concern for the patients.

"It's in the basement, I'm not sure exactly where it is but Steven should know."

"Come on then" Phillip said taking the lead back to the Quinn's office.

They ran down several corridors and twisted and turned up staircases to reach the office.

They reached the office to see the group huddled around several torches.

"Steven, we need to turn the generator on," Quinn said gasping for breath.

"Okay, What's the rush?" Steven asked standing up.

"No time just hurry" Quinn said ushering him out of the office.

Steven led them down to the ground floor, which was in complete darkness except for their torches.

They were running past the reception desk when Quinn tripped and fell to the floor dropping his torch, which flew out before him and shattered against the wall.

Steven stopped and pulled him up. It was then Quinn saw what he'd tripped on. It was a body of one of the zombies that had chased the police officers in. To be more precise it was a body, there was no sign of the other two.

"Shit" Quinn exclaimed he noticed the disappearance straight away.

"What?" Steven asked not even noticing the lack of two bodies even though it was in his torchlight.

"The bodies look, two of them have disappeared" Quinn said pointing at the single corpse.

"Dam it," Steven said cocking his shotgun, Quinn drew his revolver, he'd left his shotgun in his office as he left to do rounds.

Phillip who had just turned around and began helping Quinn noticed the single body straight away.

"Oh for Christ sake this is all we need" Phillip gasped. "Okay, Steven your ex-military you take point and advance to the generator, Me and Quinn will stay just behind you and watch the doors." he ordered taking a hold of the situation quickly, "Quinn here you go" he said handing Quinn a huge torch one of the ones that was used as a baton as well. "You've seen the movies where they advance through house, the way they stand I mean? The torch hand supporting the gun hand?"

Quinn nodded.

"Well take that stance the movies actually got one thing right." Phillip said giving a hearty slap on the shoulder.

Steven then began to stalk down the corridor past the reception his shotgun raised and pointing at any possible way the zombies could emerge from. Phillip was taking the rear and making sure none of them could jump out from behind them. Quinn was sandwiched in between them his gun raised and huge torch pointing at the doors he passed.

Then eventually Steven halted and paused in front of a metal door that read **HOSPITAL STAFF ONLY.**

"This shouldn't be open." Steven said as he looked at the door, the door was in fact open but only partly.

"Well we know that they've been down their at some point." Quinn uttered.

"Let's go we can't waste any time," Phillip reminded them. "I'll hold here you two get down there and turn that bloody thing on" he said getting into a crouched defensive position.

Steven flung the door open and headed down the stairs on the other side. Quinn followed him his gun raised to the ceiling to make sure he wouldn't trip and fire a bullet in the back of Steven.

Steven reached the bottom of the stairs to a door that had the symbol of electricity on it and a warning sign. This door was also partly open. Steven flung the door open pointed his shotgun round the room. Quinn followed suit. The whole room was deserted apart from the generator and various pots of things on selves. Steven set his shotgun down and began work on the generator. Quinn began to inspect the room. There was no way one of the zombies was still in there the room was tiny it was solid concrete and the generator lay in the center opposite the door where they had entered there was another big metal door.

"Where's this led?" Quinn said looking at it.

"The car park for the ambulances" Steven said not looking up from the generator.

Quinn put his hand on the doorknob and turned it slowly. His eyes were greeted with the site of the car park with three ambulances and a couple of cars still in it. However this wasn't the only thing in the car park. A few zombies were also stumbling around not many but still enough to make any one think twice of moving through it. Quinn managed to count eight before fear got the better of him and he shut the door.

"We may have a problem." Quinn whispered.

"Oh?" Steven said raising his hand signaling Quinn to be quiet then suddenly the generator kicked in and the room hummed and the whole room was filled with light.

"What's that then?" he said looking away from the generator and collecting his shotgun.

"There's zombies in the car park." Quinn uttered.  
"Well we can't do anything about that now. Come on we've got two in the hospital to deal with-" Then there was the crack of Phillip's shotgun "One then" Steven said smiling at him. The pair then rushed back up the stairs to the ground floor which was no longer filled with red lights but was back to it's normal state of yellow light.

Phillip was standing over one the bodies of the zombie looking around for the last one.

"Good shot," Steven said slapping him on the shoulder.

"Thanks but there's still one left, I reckon he's still on this floor." Phillip said looking around "I think we should split up, It doesn't look like they have the intelligence to sneak up on us, this one ran at me down the whole corridor."

"Sure suits me," Quinn said handing the torch back to Phillip.

"Right Okay I'll take this corridor. Steven you take the other and Quinn I suggest you check the first floor just encase"

Steven and Quinn nodded and set off to their assigned area.

Quinn moved quickly but cautiously to the stairs to the first floor. He went up them keeping his gun raised. Then he entered the first wing of the first floor.

The silence was eerie as he entered. He couldn't even hear the machine noise that he was used to or the normal chatter of the nurses and patients, which he'd grown to love. Then suddenly from the bottom of the corridor there was the sound of something metal crashing to the floor. Quinn advanced a foot at a time keeping his gun trained on the corridor. He walked past the first patients room and glanced in. The sight was horrific the patient had been mauled to death his face and throat had been ripped to pieces there was no way he could have defended himself, he was a cancer patient and was close to death.

Quinn grimaced but carried on. He past another room that looked no better.

Then the third room he could here movement and a disgusting ripping sound. The sound of flesh being parted from the bones. Quinn kicked the door and stormed in he saw the zombie bent over one of the beds feasting on the patient. The patient was still alive and he noticed Quinn first and managed to mouth "Help" before his eyes went blank and he died.

"HEY ASS HOLE" Quinn shouted. The zombie turned letting out a low growl. Quinn's pistol was already raised and he pulled the trigger. The bullet slammed into the zombie's head and he flew backwards over the bed dead. Quinn sighed, in his rush to save the patients he'd en fact condemned them, but at least he'd done something. The other doctors and nurses had fled the hospital after they realized what was happening.

There were now no patients left in the hospital to look after. Quinn hadn't checked them all yet but they had all died in the lack of power by the time the power was back up it was too late. Quinn then set about making sure the patients who had been killed by the zombie weren't going to become zombies themselves


	8. Nothing But Nothing

**Chapter 8: Nothing but Nothing**

Quinn sat in the manager's officer. Since the death of all of his patients he'd taken to sitting alone in this office. The view from the huge doublewide windows was amazing and he was currently watching the sunrise from behind the pine-covered hill. He lent back in the chair holding the glass of whiskey. The manager had always had good quality whiskey. Quinn may have hated him but he certainly had good taste. It had been three days now since the electricity had gone down and the patients had died. His feet were up on the hand carved desk and he took another sip from the glass.

He couldn't get his mind away from Rachael his was constantly wrestling back and forth between self guilt telling himself it was all his fault and the thoughts of Rachael. The way her hair shined in the sun and it caught the edge of her eyes and made them twinkle almost as bright as the sun. The way he looked into those deep blue eyes and see a clearer reflection of himself than if he were to look in a mirror. A tear forced its way out of the side of his eye and he shut his eyes stopping himself from crying and he looked out of the window and began to focus on the beauty of the landscape.

_BONG_

The lift outside signified the entrance of someone. He didn't care who as long as it wasn't that Seth guy, that guy pissed him off. He was like a kid locked in a toy store he loved being able to wonder around and shoot things. When he'd found the body of the zombie and Quinn stood over all he said was "Nice shootin' buddy"

" Quinn?" A soft voice said, it was Becks

Quinn turned in his chair to face her, she could instantly see he'd been crying his red eyes and the watery look behind them was a dead give away.

"'You been thinking about her, haven't you?" she asked softly approaching him.

Quinn nodded trying to hold back the tears. "It hurts Becks, and what hurts even more is that I'm worrying about myself and how I feel rather than the patients I let die," he said in little more than a whisper.

"It's not your fault, Quinn, and you know it" she said putting an arm round his shoulder.

"It is! Those nurses and doctors who left, left the responsibility on me it's my fault I was the doctor in charge." he said standing up away from her embrace.

"You know that's not true" she protested.

"It is and you know it" Quinn almost shouted.

"It's NOT," she shouted over him. " Quinn look at yourself, look at what you've done to yourself in three days, you've become so withdraw people are almost talking about you in the past tense. You sit up here and get drunk so drunk you haven't even noticed that I've crept up to look at you. I've seen you huddled in the corner crying and that isn't something you'd do. NOW SNAP OUT OF IT"

Quinn was taken back, she'd never shouted at him. He stood silent for a moment and looked her in the eye. "I'm sorry," he uttered.

She then embraced him. "It's okay"

He eventually stood back from the hug and looked her in the eye again trying to dispel the tears. After a few moments he stifled them back and managed to get a hold of himself. He was still partly drunk but not much.

"Your right I've locked myself away long enough, I'm no longer the doctor of the hospital." He agreed. Taking his white coat off and casting over the desk.

"That's more like it," she said smiling.

He went to grasp the shotgun from the table when he noticed the ring from his third finger on the left hand was missing. He quickly fumbled with his pockets ad managed to produce the ring he'd put there several days ago and he slipped it back on.

"Is the T.V back on yet?" he asked as he collected the two guns he had, the saw off shotgun and the revolver.

"Not yet but Steven said that he almost had a signal that's why I came up here. To fetch you." Rebecca said the smile on her face growing. She'd come to terms with the situation quicker than he had she'd always been the stronger one even when they were kids.

Quinn then rolled up his shirtsleeves he was still wearing his shirt with a black tie and black suit trousers, his jacket was still in the locker room.

"Let's go, see if he's got it then," he said tucking the revolver into his trousers.

The pair walked to the lift and headed down the third floor where his officer contained the TV.

They entered the room and everyone was gathered around the TV, which was now working. On screen the same news reporter that had been on the TV three days ago was back on.

"For those of you that have just joined us we have been back up on the air since four o'clock this morning, I know this is not the time we had originally said we would be back but there were complications. The top stories we have at the moment internationally are we have currently lost contact with our correspondents in the following countries. The United Kingdom, China, Japan, Russia. We are still receiving signals from Scotland, which is one of the countries in the north of the United Kingdom; we are still receiving signals from Australia and New Zealand. But most countries have set viral warnings on their boarders and traveling is not advised even if it was possible. All airports have been shut down and there are no flights in or out of the U.S.A. However there are ships currently leaving from secure ports and people are being transported to Australia and New Zealand after the passengers have been inspected and it is clear that there is no chance of the virus spreading."

"On home affairs, the evacuation of Washington D.C has begun by plane, all refugees are being taken to New York. A city that still remains safe by the valiant efforts of the army."

"Thank God" Quinn uttered

"After they refugees land they shall be taken to assigned houses in New York where they shall stay till they can be transported out of the country. The Australian military and New Zealand military are shipping aid to help the feeding of the New York citizens. All American citizens who are not at New York are advised to travel there as soon as possible. People are also being advised not to travel to Los Angeles as we have lost contact with the city last night. You are advised to find a strong vehicle and stock up on fuel and weapons and come to the Manhattan Bridge as it the only bridge that is left in and out of the city."

By now the atmosphere in the room was almost electric. Quinn could sense the eagerness of the group they were only several hundred miles from New York, about eight hundred. It was possible they could make it to New York. Plus Rachael would be waiting at least he hoped she would be she must have felt what he too had felt. Nothing but nothing was going to stop him leaving this hospital that now felt like death as well as smelling like it. He would do as she'd asked countless times he was going to go back to her and stop there with her nothing on the earth would part them again if he found her.

He walked up to the TV and turned it off. He turned to face the group and smiled. "So are we leaving then?"


	9. The Start Of The Exodus

**Chapter 9: The Start of the Exodus.**

"So this it the plan, Me, Steven and Marcus will storm the car park, We'll also hold off any of the buggers who decide they wanna come and join the party. Quinn, Rebecca, Seth and Daniel you guys will come in behind us and take the ambulances, Seth and Daniel will carry the petrol that is stored in the cage outside by the door to the generator?" Phillip said and looked at Steven for confirmation.

Steven nodded.

"Quinn and Rebecca you will carry the bags of food that we have scrounged from the vending machines and the kitchen." Ben and Rebecca nodded.

"Right what guns do we have, lay them all on the floor."

The group was gathered in the ward they used to have their meetings in. They all had their stuff together the bags of food, which was four sport kit bags full of food and drink, which was enough to last them a week. If they needed it.

They all placed their guns in the center. Two standard police issued revolvers, Two Smith and Weston Revolvers, Three shotguns, One Lee-Enfield rifle, One sawn off shotgun and a desert eagle. "Right next the ammo," Phillip said.

All the ammo was thrown into the pile and after several minutes of counting they had the list. One clip for the Desert Eagle, thirty bullets for the rifle, two boxes for the police revolvers, which was about a hundred, One box for the Smith and Westons and finally forty shogun shells.

"Right every one gets to take one gun." Phillip said, "and we'll take it in turns" he quickly said looking at Seth.

"Steven goes first." Steven took one of the shotguns.

"Rebecca". She took one of the Smith and Weston revolvers.

"Marcus" Marcus took the sawn off shotgun.

"Seth" He eagerly grabbed one of the shotguns.

"Quinn " Quinn took the rifle. He'd heard somewhere it was one of the most accurate guns ever made so he thought he'd try it out.

"Daniel" Daniel took one of the police issued revolvers.

"Right I'll take one of the shotguns" Phillip said grabbing it. "Plus Daniel you get the other revolver, you should be able to handle two at once, Marcus you get the Desert Eagle as the sawn off only has two shells at a time. Finally Quinn take the other Smithy, you might need it, it takes a while to reload that rifle."

"Right I say we have half an hours break before we go for this just relax people then we can get to it, go and grab drinks quickly and toilet breaks." Phillip paused to laugh "God I sound like the mother of this happy band of soldiers." he chortled. "Right go and have a break meet at reception in half an hour"

The group then quickly scattered and Phillip collected the ammo together and placed them in the rucksack he'd carry.  
"You want me to show how to use that thing?" he asked Quinn

"Sure thing."

He explained to him that the bolt on the gun had to be brought back and forth after each shot to load another bullet into the barrel. Also how to aim with it and get a proper shot with it. He also explained how to reload the gun, it evolved putting each bullet in separately, but once it was loaded it could hold ten bullets.

"It certainly seems an impressive gun," Quinn said looking it up and down.

"It is, right I just need to sort out the distribution of people and ammo on the trucks." Phillip said organizing the ammo again. "Do you mined driving one of the trucks, and I'll drive the other one." Phillip asked

"That's fine, I work several shifts in the ambulance while I was an intern so I can drive one quite easily."

"Okay, Right I think I'm going to put Steven, Rebecca and Daniel in your truck. Is that okay?" Phillip asked.

"That's fine" Quinn nodded

"It's just that Steven can handle a gun quite well and so can you, plus I think there might be something going on between Rebecca and Daniel." Phillip said smiling.

"Really?" Quinn asked. For the first time in four days he was relieved to hear a bit of nice gossip.

Phillip nodded. "Suppose we should get ready to get to the generator room. Oh yeah just thought I'd say, I'm giving your truck some ammo, you guys get all the pistol ammo and the rifle ammo, apart from the Desert Eagle. However I'm going to keep all the shotgun ammo with us as we've got three of the shotguns so Steven will have eight shots with his shotgun then he'll have to use your Smithy."

Quinn nodded. Phillip filled up and rucksack then he gave Quinn the ammo for his truck to him.

Quinn then lifted up two of the food bags and Phillip followed suit and the pair went to the generator room. There were there a while just sorting through stuff giving it the entire once over. Quinn also decided to go and get his suit jacket from the locker room just to complete his black suit and also he figured he'd need the jacket until they could get some better clothes.

They waited for about ten minutes after that and by then all the others had arrived. Rebecca arrived with two sets of keys as well. She gave one to Quinn and the other to Phillip. "Right, Okay the groups are, my truck is Seth, Marcus and Myself and with Quinn, Steven, Rebecca and Daniel."

Quinn looked at the reaction of Daniel and Rebecca and they both exchanged bashful glances. Phillip was right there was something going on.

"Right Daniel, Seth you guys need to be quick with the Petrol so don't hang around we don't know how many are wanna join the fun."

Daniel and Seth nodded. "Rebecca I want you to toss the food into our truck then high tale it back to your own"

She also nodded.

"Right Quinn, Rebecca grab the food. Steven, Marcus on me and get ready."

Quinn slung the rifle over his shoulder by the strap then he picked up the two food bags for his truck. Rebecca slipped the Smithy into her trousers and hoisted the bags up.

"Every one ready?" Phillip asked.

"Yes" Everyone replied.

"Right here we go!" he said and he threw the metal door open so fast the door clanged onto the other side no doubt attracting the attention of every undead in the car park.

Phillip was quick to fire a shell into the leading zombies face. Marcus and Steven followed suit-blasting holes into the zombies. The short skirmish lasted about twenty seconds and the car park was clear. Quinn and Rebecca were quick out through the door and ran over to their assigned trucks Quinn opened his quickly and threw the bags into the back area. He then quickly opened up the driving compartment and got in to start the engine. Rebecca ran over to Phillip who had also opened his truck.

She threw the bags in and was quickly over and in the back of Quinn 's truck.

Seth and Daniel were out to the petrol storage as quick as possible. Daniel went to open the door but there was a pad lock firmly holding it in place.

"Fuck" he uttered.

"What's wrong?" Seth asked almost bouncing up and down from the excitement.

The whole car park was then filled with shouts and loud foot echoes as some of the feral undead outside had heard the fight and were coming to get some food. The sound of their footsteps on the tarmac on the ramp into the car park was deafening.

"HURRY UP" Phillip shouted as he started the engine.

"MOVE" Seth shouted and he fired as shell destroying the pad lock.

Steven and Marcus were already shooting at the undead as they charged in through the entrance.

Quinn took his revolver out of his waistband and aimed out the window as a zombie advanced upon Steven's right flank. He fired the first shot catching it in the shoulder and scattering it to the ground. The zombies had now gotten close to Steven and he quickly flicked the butt of the gun into the leading one's face. Marcus was down to his Desert Eagle he didn't have time to reload the sawn off.

Quinn and Rebecca joined in fighting the zombies trying to slow their advance. Phillip blasted his shotgun into the advancing ranks.

"GRAB 'EM AND LET'S GO" Seth yelled over the fighting as he grabbed to tanks of petrol and Daniel followed suit. They ran to their trucks quickly However Daniel was in mid sprint when and undead noticed him and charged across the parking lot at him. Fortunately Daniel noticed the charge and he managed to turn using the weight of petrol tanks to smack it straight in the face. It fell back lifeless and he managed to get back to the truck quickly. Steven fired of the last shell in his gun and then ran to his truck. He quickly clambered in the back and shut the door. Quinn noticed Phillip's truck had started up and was leaving the parking lot. The rear doors were open and Marcus and Seth were fighting the undead off as they moved. Quinn started up the engine and slammed down the accelerator.

The truck jerked forwards and he rammed the undead out of the way as he charged up the ramp out of the car park. Charging after Phillip's truck.

They were out onto the street and Phillip lead them to the nearest Highway that would lead them to New York. They'd escaped and their journey to New York had started


	10. The Fight To New York

**Chapter 10: The Fight to New York**

(Authors Note: I am very sorry for any of the terms I get wrong in this story. It is possible to see from my writing that I am English So I am sorry If I get the geography wrong and terms like torches flashlight. However I am glad that you have all taken a interest to the story thank you for your reviews. Plus any recommendations to the plot of the story will be considered)

They had been driving down the highway for at least two hours now. They truly had escaped the hospital now and were set of their course to New York.

Quinn couldn't help but smile. Soon he'd get back to Rachael soon he could tell her how much she meant to him.

Steven was in the back with Rebecca and Daniel and were currently engaging in a card game of poker he thought but he couldn't exactly tell.

He'd managed to dig out a copy of an old rock CD from the glove compartment and they were currently cruising along whilst listening to various rock tracks.

There was a cheer from the back as Daniel won another round of whatever it was they were playing.

Quinn felt quiet safe up there in the truck they'd only come across a few undead who made vein attempts to get at them, but nothing yet had managed to pose a threat to them.

"How's it going up there Quinn" Steven asked from the back

"It's going good" Quinn said cheerfully.

"Ah! You cheated" Rebecca exclaimed and started laughing

"Would I cheat?" Daniel asked sarcastically.

Rebecca pushed him in a flirty way.

"HEY!" Quinn exclaimed "You kids calm down otherwise I'm going to turn this car around" he laughed.

That sent the truck into laughter and Steven managed to squeeze up front to sit next to Quinn.

"I bet you can't wait to get back to your wife in New York"

"God yes"

"I stake money on it now she's wishing that you were safe and on your way back to her."

"You think."

"Sure she'd be lucky to have a guy like you."

"Thanks, even though I've been pretty much pining after her there was still the voice of doubt in my mind that she'd want nothing to do with me."

"No problem, If it's anything to you I've got an old sweet heart back in NY to, we parted ways a while ago"

"Really, Well when we get there look her up"

"I shall"

There was more laughter from behind them.

Quinn span to glance what was going on then suddenly Steven screamed.

"WATCH OUT"

Quinn span back to look and a zombie had charged at the truck and was right in front of them. Ben didn't have time to try and avoid it so the truck slammed into it and the zombie hit the truck and rolled up the bonnet. It then proceeded to roll up to the ceiling. However they didn't hear it roll any further it must have clung onto the roof.

"Shit he's on the roof." Quinn said and began to swerve the truck left and right to try and get it off.

"I'll get him where's your revolver?"

"Here," Quinn pulled the gun out of his waistband and handed it to Steven. Steven grasped it then sat on the side of the door. He leaned backwards and saw the zombie clinging on. Steven pulled the hammer back and fired shot. The zombie who was trying to hang on flinched as the bullet struck it's shoulder and it's grip was lost and it rolled of the top and hit the ground at a terrific force Steven and Quinn heard the crack as he shattered some bones in it's body.

Quinn laughed and so did Steven, even though the thing was once human they'd come to accept them as different creatures, things that didn't represent the old life in it.

"Stupid bloody thing"

The next few hours were uneventful they were driving for a good few hours and it was coming to sun set when Quinn saw Phillip's truck begin to pull into a petrol station/ Bar.

Quinn followed suit and was kind of relieved to stop driving for a bit.

They all clambered out of the trucks and stood on the petrol forecourt.

Phillip walked over and had a largish smile on his face.

"We did it, good work every one.," he said

"It was down to you really," Quinn said.

"Why've we stopped here" Daniel was quick to ask.

"I figured we could all do with a break now so I thought this would be as good as place as any." Phillip said

Quinn stopped to look at the abandoned gas station. It was relatively small and it look gritty and disgusting it didn't look like any one had used the place in years let alone a few days. The old bar didn't look to appealing either. It had an old neon sign that wasn't lit up proclaiming the place to be "Eddy's rest pit". There were a few motorbikes outside all pulled up, signaling that the place was once occupied. Perhaps even some of the undead still occupied its regions.

"Right." Phillip said making sure he got everyone's attention and then he continued.

"We're going to have to clear this place up encase there are some of the zombies around. So we're going to have to split into three groups. One to clear the petrol station, one the bar the other to guard the trucks. Rebecca and Daniel can take the trucks, Steven and Me will take the petrol station and Quinn, Marcus and Seth can take the bar."

The group all murmured their agreements then instantly set to their assigned tasks.

Marcus took the led with Quinn's group, followed by Seth then Quinn himself.

They walked up to the entrance all gripping their assorted weapons. Then they stood around the door as Seth began to check through the dark windows, trying to see any sign of movement from the inside.

"Get ready you two, who knows what'll run out of these doors." Marcus said.

The pair of them both raised their weapons at the door as Marcus laid his hand on the handle ready to fling it open. Then after a brief pause he swung it open.

The smell hit them almost instantaneously, it was a combination of blood, rotting flesh and vomit all rolled into one then thrown at them. It was so bad that Quinn heaved away and started gagging. Seth however did lose his lunch all over the car park. Marcus seemed to take the smell at a simple flick of the head and brought his hand up to cover the smell.

"Jesus!" Seth moaned as he spat out the last remains of the vomit. "What the fuck died in there?"

Marcus leaned round the corner of the door, trying to see something in the dimming light. He quickly pulled out a torch and shinned it around the dark bar. The light picking up the occasional bit of metal, the whole room was filled with the disgusting smell.

Quinn managed to keep his last meal tucked into his stomach and then moved over to stand next to Marcus and peer into the bar.

"We're going to have to go in." Marcus then uttered. "I'll go first and Quinn you follow behind, Seth take the rear."

Marcus then raised his gun and stormed in, Quinn quickly followed his gun also raised, Seth however had taken to spilling yet more old food onto the floor.

Marcus and Quinn both moved around the bar very quietly watching where they were treading to make sure they didn't trip or step on something that would make a noise.

The bar was fairly empty apart from a few tables and glasses; many of the tables had been over turned. There was defiantly enough evidence to suggest that there was some sort of fight or struggle in the bar.

What Quinn couldn't understand was where the smell was coming from. It didn't seem to get stronger anywhere. Then eventually Marcus let out a dull moan from by the bar, he was looking over it. He'd obviously found the source.

Quinn moved over quickly deciding to lower his gun. He also leaned over the bar to glance at what Marcus had discovered, it was a corpse unsurprisingly and it had various bite wounds all over it, it also had a huge gapping wound in it's head. It was obviously once a zombie. Some one had shot it, and judging by its wound it was at relative close range when it was done.

It was possible to tell from the decomposition of the body that the person who had killed it had moved on a long time ago, or they themselves were dead.

"Dam" Quinn uttered, he could feel his stomach rumbling from disgust.

"I'm going to check the back room," Marcus whispered, indicating the back room of the bar with his gun, "You stay here unless you hear gun shots okay?"

Quinn nodded.

Marcus then climbed over the bar then headed into the back room.

Quinn was then left alone with the silence and the smell.

He was there for a few minutes keeping his open as Marcus moved around in there, he could hear the odd bump and clang of cutlery.

Then suddenly there was a scream and a gunshot from outside. The back room door flew open and Marcus can running in. Quinn was quick out of the door to find out what had happened.

Seth, who had been to preoccupied with vomiting his guts up had failed to notice the zombie that must have run out from behind the bar and the two were now locked in wrestle on the floor. Daniel and Rebecca had noticed the zombie charging and Daniel had managed to fire a shot at it. However it had taken the shot at a glance and managed to jump at Seth.

Quinn glanced around, He could hear movement coming from behind the bar. As he managed to look at it, before he would go and help Seth. Three more zombies came running around.

"Shit" he cried out, alerting Marcus to the danger as well.

Quinn raised the rifle and fired a shot into the leading one. Hitting its shoulder and the force of the bullet caused it to fall backwards to the ground. Marcus unleashed his shotgun. The shells spraying forward and taking the other two zombies to the floor. He then cast the shotgun aside and drew the desert eagle. Quinn managed to fire a second shot catching one of the zombies who was standing up in the head.

Daniel, while Quinn and Marcus were engaging with the other zombies rushed to Seth's rescue. He rocketed forward and kicked with his heavy police boot into the undead's ribs casting off Seth. Daniel was sure he heard a crack as well.

Marcus cocked the desert eagle and then before either of the other zombies got chance to stand up he dispatched them quickly.

"Ahhhhh…bastard!" Seth cried out as he writhed around on the floor.

Daniel quickly finished off the zombie that had attacked Seth with a quick shot to the head.

Quinn moved over to Seth quickly after he'd slung the rifle over his shoulder.

"What's wrong Seth are you okay?" he asked as he approached the man.

He could see that Seth was far from okay though there was blood everywhere he'd been bitten. Judging by Seth's writhing and where he was gripping it was his neck that had been bitten. Quinn was quick to act kneeling down beside the injured man.

"Let me see the wound move your hands" He said. Seth did as he was asked reluctantly. Trying desperately not to clasp down on the wound. The moment his hands moved though a gush of blood came out.

"Shit," Quinn uttered, "Daniel quick put some pressure on this wound for me." He said, Daniel did as he was asked, Marcus also decided to help by stopping Seth from moving.

Quinn got up and ran to one of the ambulances. He crashed in and frantically searched for a shot of morphine, he found one relatively quickly and set it up drawing the morphine into the syringe. Then he was back out again making sure to bring plenty of bandages with him. He dived onto the ground next to Seth and quickly injected the morphine.

Seth's thrashing became subdued in a matter of seconds and Daniel managed to keep his hands over the wound.

Quinn moved up Seth's body to get a better look at the wound, being a doctor for a few years had taught him that Seth had a low chance of surviving the wound and even if he did he would surely turn into one the zombies but he wasn't going to give up on him.

"Move your hands a second Daniel" Quinn asked, when Daniel moved his hands out of the way more blood flowed out but Quinn was quick to apply a pad to stop it flowing out. If Seth had been concentrating he would've noticed that Seth had in fact died.

Quinn was wrapping a bandage around when he heard Marcus "Quinn, he's dead"

Quinn sighed and stepped back from the body, he looked down on the mess that was Seth's corpse.

"He was such a cocky bugger" Marcus said, "He didn't think he'd go like this, he always talked about getting killed in a shoot out saying he was stupid enough to get himself shot by some punk with a gun."

Rebecca was now in tears and Daniel was trying to stifle them back. Marcus was pointing a gun at the head of Seth's head waiting for a twitch of its re-animation.

Steven and Philip had both heard and seen to commotion and they were walking up behind the four still left alive. They had figured out what had happened judging by Marcus' gun pointing at the corpse.

"Daft bastard" Phillip uttered to himself.

"It was the morphine…" Quinn sighed, "I shouldn't have given him any he was too weak to deal with it with a wound like that."

"Don't talk like that Doc," Steven said, "With a wound like that he was dead any way, even if the morphine hadn't killed him the pain, or loss of blood would've"

Quinn glanced at Steven and managed a half smile in gratitude. His smile was cute short by a sudden twitch of Seth's body as Marcus noticed the twitch too and fired a round from the devastating gun into Seth's now vacant skull.

Quinn closed his eyes as though the gunshot pained him in some way. Rebecca was coiled up in the arms of Daniel. Steven and Phillip simply looked on at Marcus who had a single tear rolling down his cheek.


	11. New York

Chapter 11: New York 

Clayton let out a sigh, as he over looked the Manhattan Bridge, now the only way in and out of New York on foot. He was stood on top of the huge metal wall that had been erected in the first day of the crisis basically to prevent the infection from spreading out into the city. There had been one or two outbreaks in the city and he'd lost a friend in the number of deaths that had occurred but New York was now a safe place, one of the few left in the world. At least his family was safe his father, mother and sister were probably at home. Clayton had joined the New York Militia the moment it had been set up. He wanted to play a part in defending all that now meant so much to him. Clayton was only eighteen and up until about a week ago he was intending to go of the university the moment that he left high school but the out break and shattered all the usual dreams. Of going to university, getting a house with a job, getting married, having kids and owning a car. In some ways Clayton was grateful to have this change in the world it would stop it from being a boring place now. So now he would have to fight to grab a place in the new world that was constantly changing.

It was currently one o'clock in the morning and the only noise from the city at the present was silence, there were plenty of army vehicles moving around on the bridge. They were constantly moving cargo crates around full of weapons and ammo. It was surprising how many guns there were in the city, Clayton had his own side arm, which had been given to him by his father, and an M-4 machine gun, which is what every one in the militia, seemed to be using. The one good thing about New York was the vast amount of gun stores located in it. So when the crisis had arisen the civilian population had been more then adapt at defending itself. However all guns were located at the bridge now, with the exception of the police who were doing a good job of maintain order in a city that could so easily descend into chaos.

Clayton himself had hardly been affected by the disaster except he now had a job to defend his home city. His sister however had taken to staying in the house every day. Her husband was outside the city when the chaos had started. Several hundred miles south in fact. He was a doctor in a hospital. They had recently had an argument, which is why his sister was staying with them at home when the crisis started.

Quinn that was the name of her husband was probably dead by now, which Clayton couldn't deny made him feel bad. The guy was quite cool and the two of them had always got on with each other. He remembered the day they first met, Rachael had to go out with their parents and Quinn was left to look after Clayton, the two of them sat around the living room and played on Clayton's X-box together for ages then Quinn let Clayton have his first nip of whiskey. At the time Clayton hated it but he'd developed quite a taste for it now even at the age of eighteen.

Clayton was dressed in his own clothes at the moment, the militia didn't have a proper uniform but they were all given badges, which made them members of the police force. Clayton wore typical clothes for his age. A pair of jeans, some trainers a t-shirt, and a jumper and also leather blazer with a scarf to keep out the cold. It was very draftee on the bridge as the wind glided across making it seem much colder than it actually was. It was turning November at the end of the week and Clayton knew it would be getting much colder soon. His short hair ruffled in the wind and his scarf fluttered around his neck.

He took another gasp of air then slung the M-4 onto his shoulder by the strap. It was time to move along the wall, in another five minutes he'd be relieved and get another break.

The wall itself was a good ten meters high with a large gate in the middle that allowed the occasional excursion to the "wastelands" as people in New York had started to refer to the outside country as, another term that had been floating around was to name the zombies as "The Horde". This name had been circulated by the heavily religious of the city claiming that The Horde had come to cleanse the earth. It was amazing how many people had suddenly become very religious as well since the outbreak.

Experiments that had occurred on the few of The Horde that had been captured had already proved that the condition that caused the "zombieness" was a type of virus. Some scientists in the city were currently trying to find a cure. However no one was holding out any hope on that front.

The one thing people did focus on was the chance to escape the city. The boats that were taking people out of the city to take them to Australia were arriving every other day. Plus shipments of essential food and supplies were arriving on a daily basis. So the city although its population was slowly decreasing was defiantly safe. People instead of going to their jobs tended to lend a hand trying to help with the vast exodus any way they could. Jack, Clayton's father, had got a job down at the docks, as he was an ex-cop he helped arrange the people onto the boat. Others were involved with keeping the power to the city safe in another branch of the Militia, there was also a boat force to the militia that moved around the New York patrolling all the opposite banks and monitoring The Horde. Some delivered the food and supplies and others simply stayed at home and waited for the time when they were chosen to leave.

Clayton scanned the bridge out in front of him, which was strewn with rotting corpses and smouldering car wrecks. The Horde now had a habit of attacking the bridge in numbers instead of just running at the bridge in vein hunger. He could see a bit of movement on the bridge but it was most likely crows and rats having their feast upon the corpses.

He'd never been one to flinch at violence and blood and gore he'd always found it fascinating in the gory films he'd seen, as most teenagers did he had no concept of what it was like to be in a war. Now he understand why it was not glorified, it was true that he wasn't in a war against other people he was fighting things that were once people but his desire to fight and blood lust had disappeared over the week. He'd now give anything to go off back to his normal boring life.

Instead all he could do was go back to the other guards and carry on the game of 21's that they were playing.

He turned and headed down the ramp off the huge wall. When he reached the bottom he saw the other five guards huddled around a brazier and a table with a few stools. There were only five guards on the wall at a time when there wasn't an attack. The soldiers and other militia soldiers were sleeping in barracks that had be constructed nearby on the bridge itself and could be here in a matter of seconds in the alarm was raised.

"Hey Pete, it's your turn on the wall" Clayton said to one of the men.

"Aww Shit! Just when I was on a winning streak as well" The man called Pete complained putting his cards on the table and collecting his winnings, they weren't playing for money as it'd become worthless due to the current crisis but they played for other items usually cigarettes.

Pete then left marching up the wall obviously annoyed but still willing to do his duty.

"Anything up Clay?" Rico asked, Rico was the only soldier out of the five of them, each militia squad had a few soldiers in them to give an example and of course the militia officers were proper soldiers as well.

Clayton suddenly realised that the expression on his face showed that he wasn't in the best mood.

"Oh nothing just thinking about my sisters husband" Clayton replied.

"He might still be alive." Rico said, his voice trying to get across some sort of hope.

"I doubt it." Clayton replied.


	12. To The End!

Chapter 12: To The End 

Quinn and the others were now sat in the bar, after they had cleared it up as best they could and they had moved Seth's body out of the car park of the bar.

Rebecca and Daniel were on a table by themselves, Daniel now had his arm around Rebecca, she had stopped crying a while now but the both found comfort in the others closeness. Marcus, Phillip and Steven were sat at a table all with a glass of whiskey in their hands and an empty bottle in the middle of the table. Quinn was behind the bar trying to find another bottle for the four of them to continue drinking. They were all about to go to sleep and a watch system had been drawn up, Phillip taking the first watch followed by Steven, then it was Quinn's turn. He just wanted a bottle to take with them when they left in the morning.

"Time for some sleep then." Phillip said whilst knocking back his glass. "Come on find some place to sleep."

The others wasted no time in finding a place to sleep. Marcus simply rested his head on the table his guns in front of him. Steven lay down on the floor, as did Rebecca and Daniel.

Quinn decided to sleep on the floor next to the bar, resting his head on the bar that ran along the ground parallel to the bar.

A slight shrugging of his arm awakened Quinn; he never was the heaviest of sleepers thousands of shifts on call had done that to him, it was Steven waking him up for his shift.

"What time is it?" Quinn groaned.

"Three o'clock doc." Steven replied.

Quinn rubbed at his eyes as he pulled himself up off the floor. He then bent down and picked up his rifle.

"It's been all clear so far, just make sure you go to the back room and check the view from the kitchen window every so often okay?" Steven asked

Quinn nodded in reply.

Steven then settled down to get some sleep.

Quinn leant against the bar rubbing his head and trying desperately to shake the sensation of tiredness even though he was sleeping on the floor in some grotty and smelly bar the floor still seemed inviting to his tired head. He was regretting the fact that he had several glasses of that whiskey.

Eventually and urgent need to go to the toilet gripped him, he decided he'd go outside and do it up against the wall at least the cold might keep him awake.

He walked across the bar stepping over Phillip on his way out. Then exited into the cold night

The first thing he noticed when he stood outside was how devastatingly cold it was. He was only wearing his suit, which had dirt streaks across and the odd blood streak as well. If any one had been standing outside in normal times they would've thought that Quinn had just stumbled out of a bar fight, he had the look about him that showed he hadn't slept properly in various days. His hair was matted together with sweat and blood, and the facial hair on him was very unkempt. He really did look like some one who went to a group with an alcohol problem.

He slung the rifle onto his shoulder and then continued to pee against the wall. It may have been fortune of misfortune that he had decided to go outside to do it. Because the second he was in full flow he heard a scraping sound behind him. He quickly glanced around, and saw nothing, just the empty car park with the two ambulance trucks parked in it. Plus the few bikes that had been left out the front of the bar. The petrol station was dark and empty.

He quickly span back round and finished his original task, then as he was doing up his zip on his trousers there was a bang from behind him the sound of something hitting against metal.

He span round again quickly taking the rifle off his shoulders.

This time there was something, a zombie, on top of the ambulance, blood dripping down from it's jaw and it's face in a state of desperation and joy.

Quinn couldn't help but let his jaw drop, this zombie that he saw was the most hideous one yet, it had blood smeared all across it's body and the amount of bite marks over made him wonder how it could actually move. It's eyes were locked onto him like he was a prized diamond, drool slowly slobbered out of the corner of it's mouth as it stared at him. Then it's head slowly tilted as though it was sizing him up knowing that a fight was about to ensue.

Quinn quickly cocked the gun and raised it up at the corpse.

The creature didn't know as if expecting Quinn's shot to miss any way.

Quinn aimed carefully and squeezed the trigger.

CLICK 

It was dry.

"Shit" Quinn uttered as the creature leapt of the truck and hit the ground running.

Quinn had little time to react he managed to raise the gun up to brace himself against the oncoming assault.

The zombie smashed against him and the pair scattered to the floor, the zombie on top of him and the only thing in-between the pair was the empty rifle.

Quinn had to force his head away from the zombie's jaw as it snapped at him, the stench coming from it's mouth made him want to hurl, drool sprayed all over him as it tried to sink it's teeth into his neck.

He cried out from the struggle desperately trying to force the flesh hungry cadaver of himself.

"Get off me you fucker" he strained as he pushed the gun underneath the zombie's neck and forced it upwards.

The zombie snarled as it whatever part of its brain was still functioning realised that it was losing it's grip on it's prey.

Quinn then managed to bring his leg up against its chest and he forced upwards crying out as he did so. The zombie rolled off him snarling as it did so.

Quinn was quick back onto his feet and he gripped the rifle by the barrel, waiting for the zombie to recover its feet.

It was quick on it's feet but Quinn this time was ready, he swung the gun round and hit the zombie square it the face with the butt of the rifle. There was a crack as the zombie span onto the ground again it wasn't finished yet though. It began to rise again, but Quinn seized the opportunity and advanced on the creature, rifle raised above his head this time he smashed down on the once human's skull. There was a louder crack this time and it stayed down for good.

Quinn halted over the body that had only been attacking him moments ago, he hadn't realised that he was panting through fear and exhaustion.

He scanned the area around him; there wasn't a sign of movement. The only sign of life was coming from him. He was now terrified if one zombie had managed to stumble across them out here in the middle of no where then hundreds could be on their way. As if his thoughts where bad omens Quinn heard a roar from his left.

He looked down the road from which they had all travelled only a few hours previous and there were at least four zombies making there way down the road.

"Oh gimmie a break!" he sighed.


	13. Worse Ways To Go

Chapter 13: Worse ways to go 

Clayton was back on the wall now, this time he wasn't looking out onto the bridge, he was looking backwards towards the city, at the other walls that had been erected encase the first section was compromised. There were three gates between the wastelands and the city. No even imagined that the zombies could get through the first gate any way so most people saw the three layered system as pointless. Clayton then shifted his gaze over to the vast stretch of water that separated New York Island from the rest of America.

"What's up kid?" Rico asked, this time the pair were on the wall together whenever there wasn't a game on there would be two people on the wall.

"Nothing just wondering at how this all started I suppose, and I'm not a kid" Clayton replied emphasising the last few words.

Rico laughed, "Sure, any way no point thinking, live for the now that's my motto"

Clayton looked at the soldier and smiled.

"Yeah? Whatever"

Clayton moved to stand next to the soldier.

"Fancy a cigarette?" Rico asked pulling a packet from his top pocket.

"Might as well, better to die of lung cancer than get ripped apart by one of those things" Clayton replied.

Rico handed over a cigarette then held out his lighter for Clayton, Clayton took it and lit up then handed the lighter back.

Clayton took in a drag, trying to hide his urge to cough as he did so. He really respected Rico and was in some ways scared of letting himself appear weak around the man.

"Ever smoke one of those before?" Rico asked with a raised eyebrow.

Clayton frowned and nodded. Then coughed

Rico laughed as Clayton continued into a coughing fit.

"It's okay just make sure you don't kill yourself trying to impress me," Rico said.

Clayton looked at Rico and frowned, Clayton was a teenager and still liked to pretend that he didn't need anything or any one.

Rico turned back to the bridge and gazed out into the night and the wastelands.

"What's that over there?" Rico said.

"What?" Clayton asked peering into the darkness.

"There in the distance, there's movement." Rico pointed.  
In the distant the pair could what appeared to be a giant wave of movement, then into the field of vision in the darkness ran masses of corpses all roaring and ready to feast.

"FUCK ME!" Rico cried, "Activate the lights Clayton, I'll sound the alarm" he order practically sprinting for the alarm.

Clayton ran the length of the wall and hit the switch that activated the floodlights that were pointing out from the wall and illuminated the charge of the Horde. With the lights on Clayton's mouth dropped at the sheer amount of zombies that were now attacking the wall, there must have been thousands.

The alarm then hit the bridge a deafening siren howled out across the bridge. You could hear the sound of the alarm from the other side of the city when it was activated.

Clayton flinched from the sudden blast of sound, but he quickly heard the response of soldiers rushing to defend the wall.

Clayton turned to the face the horde and took the weapon of his shoulders. He instantly cocked it and aimed down at the Horde. He squeezed the trigger and locked his shoulder as the gun spurted out bullets into their ranks.

As the first of the Horde slammed against the wall it began to shake violently, and Clayton had to stop and steady himself against one of the railings as more and more undead slammed against the wall.

The wall itself had not been tested to the scale it was now and Clayton didn't think it was going to hold.

He however still fired into the ranks as soldiers and militia members gathered on the wall to try and repel the attack. Guns rattled left and right to Clayton as his own gun halted and he needed to reload. He ejected the empty magazine and reached down to his belt for another one.

Then the wall took huge knock, someone had thrown a grenade quite close to the wall, it shock and Clayton lost his footing and fell to the ground he also lost the grip of his gun and it fell over the edge into the zombies. Clayton stared down in disbelief there were so many he'd not seen a group that big ever.

Clayton felt a hand grab him round the shoulder and he was hauled up of the ground, he looked up and saw Rico, his face completely dead pan. He didn't look scared at all.

"Drop your gun?" He shouted over the gunfire.

Clayton nodded in reply.

Rico then pushed him towards the stairs, "Get off the wall then, it ain't gonna hold"

Clayton moved across the wall as best he could trying not to slip again. The wall took another big knock and swayed this time a man to the left of Clayton fell and lost his footing. However he was not as fortunate as Clayton he fell through the bottom of the railings and fell to his death among the Horde.

Clayton reached the stairs and moved down them and vaulted the last few steps to the ground.

"MOVE YOUR ASS PRIVATE" and officer shouted as he ran past him trying to get up the wall.

Clayton moved backwards looking at the wall. It was swaying so much it was obvious that it wasn't going to hold much longer. His hands moved down to his waist and his clutched the Colt.45 his father had given him.

There was a large creak from the wall now as it strained under the pressure. There was an explosion of another grenade. A sound that almost signified the collapse of the wall, the very second after the wall came crashing down backwards with cries from the men on top and the cries of the metal bending.

"RICO!" Clayton shouted.

The hordes of undead came rushing over the rumble of the wall grabbing at the first people that they could see and launching into a frenzied feasting.

"Come on kid run!" a soldier shouted as he ran past, grabbing his shoulder and forcing him in the direction of the next gate and wall.

Clayton ran along with the soldier glancing over his shoulder occasionally to see the odd soldier firing at the zombies, they didn't last long though.

On the second defensive wall there were large machine guns, M2's apparently something about them being 50 caliber, it was better-defended wall and would probably be able to hold

As they ran thought, Clayton saw the gates were beginning to close they were about to be trapped outside the city.

As he reached up to the wall the gates slammed shut. He and a few other militia members were trapped. The guns went into action above their heads the other men raised there guns and fired at the oncoming horde as if they thought that the could be saved.

Clayton had other ideas he knew that they were dead and would soon join the walking dead.

He sprinted to the side of the bridge and over looked the water below; the drop would surely kill him but he had no choice really. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the other men being torn apart. He raised the gun and fired a shot at an approaching undead, the shot piercing it's chest and making it fall to the ground. Another shot and another fell. But then there were two zombies on him and he was knocked backwards of the bridge and he fell, down the cold water. He considered it the last moments of his life as he heard the cries of men and the rattle of guns...after all there were worse ways to go than falling into water.


End file.
